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Senator Lindsey Graham, the Republican presidential candidate from South Carolina, called on Monday for the Confederate battle flag to be removed from the state's Capitol.
Jun.22
Political News, Now.
Lindsey Graham Calls for Removal of Confederate Flag From South Carolina’s Capitol
Senator Lindsey Graham, the Republican presidential candidate from South Carolina, called on Monday for the Confederate battle flag to be removed from the state’s Capitol.
“I am urging that the Confederate battle flag be removed from State House grounds to an appropriate location,” he said in a statement. “I hope that, by removing the flag, we can take another step towards healing and recognition – and a sign that South Carolina is moving forward.”
Gov. Nikki Haley also called for the flag’s removal at a news conference at the Capitol in Columbia. The state’s other senator, Tim Scott, also a Republican, was expected to do the same, The Post and Courier of Charleston reported on Monday.
The decision by the state’s political leadership comes after a difficult few days for South Carolina after nine churchgoers were killed in Charleston last week.
The flag, which is seen as a symbol of Civil War-era racism by many Americans, has become a litmus test for presidential contenders. Mr. Graham initially said that he would be fine with it being taken down but acknowledged that the flag was “part of who we are.”
As The New York Times reported earlier on Monday, there was a push in the late 1990s to take it down, but the flag continued to fly above South Carolina’s copper-domed Capitol until 2000, when a bipartisan agreement was reached to move it to a Confederate memorial nearby.
“That compromise was widely accepted,” Mr. Graham recalled. “But in light of what has happened, that has to be revisited because the shooter is so associated with the flag.”
While Democrats have been largely united in calling for the flag to be taken down, Republican presidential candidates have been careful to call it a state matter.
CNN reported Mr. Graham’s decision earlier on Monday.
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Third-Party Groups Sue F.E.C. to Try to Open Up Presidential Debates
As the 2016 presidential campaign gets into gear, one of the biggest debates so far has been about the debates. For some Democrats, such as Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, there aren’t enough planned. For lesser-known Republicans, the polling criteria could make it difficult for them to even get on the stage.
Now advocates for third-party groups are making the case that the election laws are rigged to make it impossible for candidates who are not Republicans or Democrats to ever get elected.
The advocates, which include Level the Playing Field, the Green Party of the United States and the Libertarian National Committee, filed a lawsuit Monday against the Federal Election Commission, accusing the agency of failing to fairly regulate the debate process.
At the center of the lawsuit is the Commission on Presidential Debates, which the election commission regulates. The third-party groups contend that the debates commission illegally excludes candidates who are not members of one of the two major parties and that it is not, in fact, nonpartisan.
“It is unlikely that the American people will ever have a chance to elect the independent candidate that they would prefer because the political system is rigged to favor Democrats and Republicans,” according to the complaint.
The group is asking the F.E.C. to find that the Commission on Presidential Debates has violated the rules on accepting partisan financial contributions and to revise its rules to broaden participation in presidential debates.
The F.E.C. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Opening up the election process even further could come with its own obstacles. As The New York Times reported this month, more than 300 candidates have already declared that they are seeking the White House in 2016.
Senior Republicans Follow Nikki Haley’s Lead on Confederate Battle Flag
Tongue-tied over the issue for nearly a week, senior Republicans jumped on the bandwagon Monday and called for folding up the Confederate battle flag after Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina said the Civil War symbol should be removed from the state Capitol.
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, acknowledged that while the flag meant different things to different people, it was time to take it down.
“The fact that it continues to be a painful reminder of racial oppression to many suggests, to me at least, that it’s time to move beyond it, and that the time for a state to fly it has long since passed,” Mr. McConnell said.
Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, echoed that sentiment, calling the flag too hurtful for Americans.
“For South Carolina, taking down this Confederate flag is a step in mending those divisions,” Mr. Priebus said.
Republican presidential candidates were also quick to praise Ms. Haley.
Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, who is considering a White House bid, said he supported her decision.
And former Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who has announced his presidential campaign, called it an important step in mourning the killings of the nine churchgoers in Charleston.
“Removing the flag is an act of healing and unity that allows us to find a shared purpose based on the values that unify us,” Mr. Perry said.
As for Democrats, Hillary Rodham Clinton also tweeted her support for Ms. Haley.
Donald Trump Makes Presidential Run Official
Donald J. Trump has made it official.
A week after announcing his plans to run for president at a rally in New York, the billionaire businessman sealed the deal by filing signed documents with the Federal Election Commission. Mr. Trump faced a deadline of July 1 to do so.
“I am pleased to submit this filing to the Federal Election Commission, formalizing my campaign for president of the United States,” Mr. Trump said Monday in a statement. “I can rebuild the American dream so that it is stronger, bigger and better than ever before.”
The Republican candidate’s campaign will be headquartered in New York City. Mr. Trump heads to Baltimore on Tuesday for a Maryland Republican Party dinner before traveling to Iowa on Saturday and New Hampshire next week.
Although Mr. Trump boasts wide name recognition, he fails to register in many national polls, and some analysts doubt that he will be able to sustain his campaign beyond the early primary debates.
However, Mr. Trump says that his business record and message supporting a strong military and free markets will carry him to the nomination.
Candidates Join Confederate Flag Debate in South Carolina
For presidential candidates, the killing of nine churchgoers in Charleston, S.C., turned into a litmus test on the Confederate flag over the weekend. As the campaigns gather pace, debate over whether the Civil War-era symbol should still fly is expected to linger.
Democrats such as Hillary Rodham Clinton and Martin O’Malley have made clear that they think the flag is inappropriate. Most Republicans have indicated that it is a state matter, while hinting that they would not be sorry to see it taken down in South Carolina.
The following is a compilation of what some of the White House hopefuls have had to say so far.
Former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida: “My position on how to address the Confederate flag is clear. In Florida, we acted, moving the flag from the state grounds to a museum where it belonged.”
Hillary Clinton in 2007: “I think about how many South Carolinians have served in our military and who are serving today under our flag and I believe that we should have one flag that we all pay honor to, as I know that most people in South Carolina do every single day.”
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas: “I understand the passions that this debate evokes on both sides. Both those who see a history of racial oppression and a history of slavery, which is the original sin of our nation. And we fought a bloody civil war to expunge that sin. But I also understand those who want to remember the sacrifices of their ancestors and the traditions of their states — not the racial oppression, but the historical traditions. And I think often this issue is used as a wedge to try to divide people.”
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida: “Ultimately the people of South Carolina will make the right decision for South Carolina, and I believe in their capacity to make that decision. The next president of the United States will not make that decision. That’s up for the people of South Carolina to make, and I think they’ll make the right one like they’ve made them in the past.”
Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin: “I think they’re going to have a good healthy debate and should have that debate in South Carolina amongst officials at the state level. I just think before I or anyone else weighs in on anything to do with policy, whether it’s this or any other policy decisions, we should honor the dead and the families by allowing them to bury their loved ones. And then you could perfectly ask me that question at some point in the next week or two when that’s done.”
Former Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland: “Is it really too much to ask the state government officials of South Carolina to retire the Confederate flag to a museum?”
Former Gov. Rick Perry of Texas: “I think a governor’s job should be one to bring people together, not to divide them, and I think the Confederate battle flag is clearly one of those that divides people.”
Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania: “I take the position that the federal government really has no role in determining what the states are going to do. I would say that these are decisions that should be made by — by people — you know, I don’t think the federal government or federal candidates should be making decisions on everything and — and opining on everything. This is a decision that needs to be made here in South Carolina. I have — like everybody else, I have my opinion.”
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas: “If the state government of South Carolina wishes to address an issue in their state, that’s fine. But … if you can point me to an article and section of the Constitution in which a United States president ought to weigh in on what states use as symbols, then please refresh my memory on that. But for those of us running for president, everyone’s being baited with this question as if somehow that has anything to do whatsoever with running for president. And my position is, it most certainly does not.”
Ben Carson: “The Confederate flag causes a lot of people angst and they are not able to see beyond that. I think the people of South Carolina should sit down and have an intelligent discussion about what can they use that captures their heritage, captures the heritage of America and allows them to coexist in peace.”
Carly Fiorina: “I think it’s clearly a symbol that is very offensive to many, but my personal opinion is not what’s relevant here. What’s relevant here is what the people of South Carolina choose to do next.”
Democratic ‘Super PAC’ to Take On Koch Brothers
A “super PAC” that focuses on opposition research is planning to invest heavily in efforts to tie Republican candidates to the Koch brothers, oil tycoons whom Democrats have maligned in the last three national elections.
The strategy by American Bridge 21st Century, a group founded by David Brock, a Hillary Rodham Clinton ally, represents a redoubling of efforts that have had mixed results in recent election cycles and ignited some controversy.
It comes as Koch officials, who support Republicans in national races, have indicated that they plan to spend more than $900 million on the 2016 campaign through their network. The brothers have been criticized by Democrats for financing conservative groups and funneling money into efforts to fight key parts of President Obama’s agenda.
Democrats have refused to let up on the Koch brothers for the last six months, led in part by Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the outgoing minority leader. And officials with American Bridge, which was pivotal to 2012 efforts to tie Republicans to contentious remarks about “legitimate rape” by Representative Todd Akin when he ran for the Senate in Missouri, argue there is clear evidence that laying out a case against the Kochs is effective.
Their ambitious plan will involve a surgical focus on statements, interviews and activities related to Koch Industries and to their political activities, including the Libre Initiative, which is focused on Hispanic voters.
The American Bridge plan, which has a budget of roughly $4 million, includes hiring 10 more opposition researchers and a press person focused solely on this topic in a “war room”-style campaign, as well as extensive polling and focus groups.
The effort is as much about picking at the Koch operations as it is getting in their heads – Bridge officials proudly talk about how they tracked down information from David Koch’s unsuccessful run for president as a libertarian in 1980.
Today in Politics: Republicans Face Unsteady Path After Charleston Shooting
Good Monday morning from Washington. Though trade is still a source of gamesmanship and huge Supreme Court decisions could come down at any moment, all eyes are on Charleston, S.C., where crowds on Sunday spilled out of the church in which nine black churchgoers were killed on Wednesdayby a white gunman.
If it were up to most of the Republican presidential candidates, the campaign would be centered on what they perceive as President Obama’s shortcomings, the threat of Islamic terrorism and questions about Hillary Rodham Clinton’s ethics. But instead, the next few weeks are likely to be dominated by a host of issues that will test their ability to balance the competing demands of conservative primary voters and the general electorate.
First, there was Pope Francis’ encyclical on the threat of climate change, which thrust into the campaign a topic that many Republicans have sought to dodge.
Then came last week’s massacre of nine people at a black church in Charleston, S.C., which has prompted difficult questions about gun violence, racial discrimination and the displaying of the Confederate flag.
But if that was not enough to put them on the defensive, now comes the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule in the next two weeks on two cases likely to create a new round of difficult questions for the Republicans.
There is the matter of how to replace the health insurance of millions of Americans who could lose their coverage if the court strikes down the part of Affordable Care Act that provides subsidies to individuals in states that rely on the federal insurance marketplace. And there is the prospect that the court could effectively legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, prompting the question of whether (and how) the Republican candidates would fight such a decision.
In sports, this is called playing an away game. These issues do not make up the terrain on which Republicans wish to contest this election.
— Jonathan Martin
Stay tuned throughout the day: Follow us on Twitter@NYTpolitics and on Facebook for First Draft updates.
What We’re Watching This Week
This is the week that Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana is expected to add his name to the long list of Republican presidential candidates.
The candidates who are senators — Marco Rubio of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky, all Republicans, and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a Democrat, will be tied up in Washington for much of the week.Mrs. Clinton will be in Virginia on Friday, while also late in the week, Mr. Cruz, former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, and Donald J. Trumpwill be in Iowa, as will Gov. John R. Kasich of Ohio, a Republican, who will make his first visit to the state, despite not quite being a candidate yet, to in part gauge its interest in him.
Amid tensions between the United States and China over the cybertheft of personal information from 14 million federal workers, Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew and Secretary of State John Kerry will host the seventh United States-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue, through Wednesday.
Let the Trade Negotiations Continue. Again.
Trade is back in the Senate’s court as advocates and the White House push this week to finish the difficult fight before lawmakers head out of town for a Fourth of July recess.
After the House passed legislation last week giving Mr. Obama fast-track negotiating authority, Senator Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican who is the majority leader, set up a series of votes that he hopes will end with the president signing both the fast-track bill and a second measure granting training and other benefits to workers displaced by overseas competition.
As always in the contentious trade maneuvering, there are some wrinkles. Mr. McConnell needs Democrats who initially supported the trade deal in the Senate last month to back it again. But in the previous go-round, the negotiating power and the worker aid were tied together, making it easier for Democrats. Now, they will be considered separately, and some Democrats are saying they aren’t sure they can back a deal structured that way.
That position gives Democrats added leverage to extract more concessions from Republicans on the worker assistance, but Republicans seem to think they have already been generous and may balk at further sweetening the package. The critical vote on the arrangement could come as early as Tuesday.
Even with all the jockeying, pro-trade forces believe they are on their way to success despite another push by labor to block the legislation. But Mr. McConnell acknowledged that a trade victory was going to require a little trust on the part of Republicans and Democrats, a commodity in short supply on Capitol Hill.
— Carl Hulse
Supreme Court Is Down to Its Final Mondays
The Supreme Court enters the term’s homestretch on Monday, with 11 decisions yet to come. The blockbusters on same-sex marriage and health care are not likely to be among those announced when the justices take the bench at 10 a.m. More likely are ones on lethal injections, housing discrimination and whether the Constitution allows independent commissions rather than state legislatures to draw voting districts.
There is only one more day scheduled for the court to issue decisions: Monday, June 29. But the court is likely to add one or two more days this week, and there is a possibility that the term will end on Tuesday, June 30. One potential calendar: health care next Monday and same-sex marriage the day after.
— Adam Liptak
Bipartisan Proposals to Address Criminal Justice Overhaul
The Coalition for Public Safety, the strange-bedfellows alliance of progressives and conservatives over criminal justice overhaul, is set on Monday to issue policy recommendations aimed at reducing the national prison population and making it easier for those released from prison to start over.
The proposals are expected to include reducing mandatory minimum penalties, allowing judges more discretion in sentencing, expanding alternatives to incarceration, reducing education and employment barriers to former offenders, increasing federal hiring, improving accuracy of criminal background checks, and allowing low-level offenders to erase criminal records after a period of good conduct.
The coalition has muscle from conservatives and liberals, who have found common ground on the idea that America’s criminal justice system has become too reliant on incarceration, even for nonviolent offenders.
Groups represented in Monday’s announcement include the conservative Americans for Tax Reform and the progressive American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for American Progress.
— Carl Hulse
Our Favorites From Today’s Times
Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, the onetime altar boy from Sacramento and conservative Republican, has advanced legal equality for gays more than any other American jurist.
Mr. Obama played golf over the weekend on emerald courses in California,bringing himself into the state’s debate over its severe drought and water-use restrictions.
And for Father’s Day, some of the 2016 presidential candidates and hopefuls have been telling the tales of their fathers.
What We’re Reading Elsewhere
The Washington Post takes a look at the state flags bearing symbols of the Confederacy, and notes that, according to census data, “roughly one-third of the nation’s black population lives under a state flag that evokes” such images.
And writing about the man accused of the Charleston shooting, The Guardianreports, “The leader of a right-wing group that Dylann Roof allegedly creditswith helping to radicalise him against black people before the Charleston church massacre has donated tens of thousands of dollars to Republicans such as presidential candidates Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Rick Santorum.”
Mrs. Clinton may have gotten a lot of buzz for basing her campaign in Brooklyn, but she continues to do most of her New York-based work at her Manhattan offices, and her team just signed a new lease there, Politico reports.
The Washington Post’s fact checker calls out Mr. Paul for vastly overstating things in citing a man who was imprisoned for 10 years for putting dirt on his property.
“Meet the Press” was criticized by some on Sunday for showing a video segment of black prisoners talking about their gun crimes on the same episode that discussed the Charleston shooting. The segment, which the host Chuck Todd said was decided upon before the shootings, was called insensitive, at best, by some critics. The Hill reports.
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